Homogenizer



- J. A. CLARK aoloGEnIzER Filed sePt- 28. 193s Dec- 3, 4935.

griffa- Patented Dee. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOMOGENIZERApplication September 28, 1933, Serial No. 691,340

4Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus in which liquids are processed bybeing forced under considerable pressure through small apertures at highvelocity. Such apparatus will be termed homogenizers.

The eiliciency of a homogenizer depends, among other things, upon thevelocity at which the liquid passes through the homogenizing valve andupon the force with which it strikes the wall of the chamber surroundingthe valve. 'Ihe force with which the iiuid impinges upon the wall of thehomogenizing head is related to the velocity, but another factor cannotbe disregarded, namely, the distance between the valve and the wall. Ifthe distance is small the velocity of the fluid will be diminished onlyslightly before it strikes the wall but if the distance is great, thevelocity will be greatly diminished by the necessity of passing througha volume of quiescent liquid before striking the wall.

It has been attempted heretoforeto provide an impact surface close tothe valve by decreasing the size or diameter of the interior of thehomogenizing head or by providing a projection upon the inner wall ofthe homogenizing head adjacent the discharge orifice of the homogenizingvalve. Neither of these expedients have been entirely satisfactoryinasmuch as they tended to obstruct the required free flow of the fluid.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a homogenizerarranged to provide an impact surface close to the valve and at the sametime permit the required free iiow of the iiuid.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawing:in which,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, of a homogenizerembodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevational view of a portion of theapparatus;

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the parts of the homogenizing valve andits associated parts in position to be assembled; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken upon the line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited in its application to the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and ofbeing practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to beunderstood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is forthe purpose ot description and not of limitation. and it is not intendedto limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of theprior art.

The invention has been embodied, as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in a two-stage homogenizer comprising a cylinder head Illhaving 5 a plurality of compression chambers II,V one of which isillustrated in cross section in the accompanying drawing. Fluid issupplied to each of the compression chambers Il through an inlet passageI2 controlled by an inlet valve I3. 10 The pressure of the fluid withinthe chamber II is raised by reciprocation of a piston I5 actuated bysuitable mechanism (not shown). Each compression chamber II communicatesthrough a discharge passage L6 with a high pressure cham- 15 ber I`I,the discharge passage I6 being controlled by a discharge valve I8. Ahomogenizing head 20 is suitably secured upon the cylinder head I0 bybolts 2i and is provided with a homogenizing chamber 22 arranged tocommunicate with the 20 pressure chamber Il. The homogenizing head 20 isprovided also with a second homogenizing chamber 23 arranged tocommunicate with the chamber 22. Communication between the pressurechamber Il and the homogenizing chamber 25 22 is controlled by ahomogenizing valve A while communication between the homogenizingchamber 22 and the homogenizing chamber 23 is controlled by ahomogenizing valve B.

The homogenizing valves A and B are of iden- 30 tical construction. Thevalve A comprises cooperating valve members 30 and 3|. The valve member30 is positioned in the enlarged outer end of the chamber I1 so as toabut a shoulder 33. The inner end of the member 30 is provided with 35an annular ilange 34 adapted to be engaged by a shoulder 36 on a nut 35threaded in the enlarged end of the chamber I1. The outer end of thevalve member 30 is provided with a seating surface 31 adapted to beengaged by a seating surface 38 upon the cooperating valve member 3lwhich is engaged by one end of a rod 4I. The valve member 3l is providedwith suitable guides 42 extending into and engaging the interior wall 4543 of the valve member 30.

In accordance with the present invention an impact ring is secured uponone of the valve members so as to be engaged by liquid passing throughthe homogenizing valves. Preferably, 50 and as illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, an impact ring 45 is secured upon the valve member3| and is provided with an impact surface I6 which is inclined outwardlyaway from the valve members and preferably is positioned at an angle ofslightly more than 90 to the seating surfaces of the valve members.

The size of' the aperture or orifice between the valve members, that is,the distance the seating surfaces are separated when the apparatus is inoperation, is controlled or adjusted in any suitable manner. Asillustrated, the rod Il is slidably mounted in a bearing provided in thehomogenizing head 20. A member 52 is suitably fixed upon the outer endof the rod 4i and is slidably positioned within the cylindrical recess53 provided in a cap 54 which is adjustably threaded in the homogenizinghead 20. The member 52 is held against a ring 55 threaded in the outerend of the cylindrical recess 53 by a heavy spring 56 extending betweenthe member 52 and the bottom of the recess 53. A wheel 51 is suitablyxed upon the outer end of the cap 54 so that it may be turnedconveniently to adjust the size of the orifice between the valve members30 and 3| when the apparatus is in operation.

It will be noted that in the operation of the apparatus, fiuid underhigh pressure in the chamber I1 will cause the valve member 3l to moveaway from the end of the Valve member 30 so as to provide an orifice 60(Fig. 2) therebetween. It will be understood that the fluid pressure inthe chamber I1 will be greater than that in chamber 22 and that thefluid pressure in chamber 22 will be greater than that in chamber 23.The fluid under high pressure in the chamber I1 will pass throughorifice 60 and will impinge upon the impact surface 46 of the impactring 45 and thus will travel only a very short distance after leavingthe orifice. Inasmuch as the impact ring 45 is carried by one of themembers of the homogenizing valve, there is ample space provided for therequired free flow of the fluid through the apparatus.

I claim:

l. In a homogenizer, means providing a passage connecting relativelyhigh and low pressure chambers, and a pair of cooperating homogenizingvalve members in said passage, the combination therewith of an impactring carried by one of said members adapted to be engaged by liquidpassing between said members from said high pressure chamber to said lowpressure chamber, the contact surface of said impact ring being inclinedaway from the other of said valve members.

2. In a homogenizer, means providing a passage connecting relativelyhigh and low pressure chambers, and a pair of cooperating homogenizingvalve members in said passage, the combination therewith of an impactring carried by one of said members adapted to be engaged by liquidpassing between said members from said high pressure chamber to said lowpressure chamber, the contact surface of said impact ring being inclinedaway from the other of said valve members and positioned at an angle ofnot less than 90 to the seating surfaces of said valve members.

3. In a homogenizer, means providing a passage connecting relativelyhigh and low pressure chambers, and a pair of cooperating homogenizingvalve members in said passage, the combination therewith of an' impactring adapted to be engaged by liquid passing between said members fromsaid high pressure chamber to said low pressure chamber, said impactring being carried by the valve member positioned farthest along thepath of travel of the liquid from said high pressure chamber to said lowpressure chamber, the contact surface of said impact ring being inclinedaway from the other of said valve members.

4. In a homogenizer, means providing a passage connecting relativelyhigh and low pressure chambers, and a pair of cooperating homogenizthanto the seating surfaces of said valve 45 members.

JOI-IN A. CLARK.

